The Crossroads Cookbook

One of the most beloved restaurants in Los Angles is VEGAN! Yes, you read that right. Chef Tal Ronnen is the founder and chef of Crossroads, a popular restaurant in Los Angeles serving mouthwatering Mediterranean meals to vegans, flexitarian's, omnivores and meat eaters. With no obvious vegan cues, most guests don't even make the connection that the menu is plant-based.

"Reinventing plant-based eating is what Tal Ronnen is all about. At his Los Angeles restaurant, Crossroads, the menu is vegan, but there are no soybeans or bland seitan to be found. He and his executive chef, Scot Jones, turn seasonal vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains into sophisticated Mediterranean fare—think warm bowls of tomato-sauced pappardelle, plates of spicy carrot salad, and crunchy flatbreads piled high with roasted vegetables. In Crossroads, Ronnen teaches readers to make his recipes and proves that the flavors we crave are easily replicated in dishes made without animal products. With accessible, unfussy recipes, Crossroads takes plant-based eating firmly out of the realm of hippie health food and into a cuisine that fits perfectly with today’s modern palate. The recipes are photographed in sumptuous detail, and with more than 100 of them for weeknight dinners, snacks and appetizers, special occasion meals, desserts, and more, this book is an indispensable resource for healthy, mindful eaters everywhere."

The Crossroads team has given us our holiday gift early and we're sharing it with you! Here are three delicious recipes from the Crossroads cookbook that would make the perfect sides for your holiday table.

With only a handful of ingredients, this unusual salad couldn’t be easier. People often cook Brussels sprouts until they are a mushy, bitter mess. When shaved raw, these badass cabbage buds are an entirely different beast. Delicate and hearty at the same time, this is one of those make-ahead salads where the flavors get even better if it is allowed to stand.

Baby parsnips are so tender that you don’t even need to peel them. (And if you did, there wouldn’t be much vegetable left!) Parsnips have a sharp flavor reminiscent of parsley’s and become incredibly sweet when roasted. Here they are drizzled with a glaze of maple syrup, a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, and a splash of vinegar. Chanterelle mushrooms don’t come cheap, but they add a woodsy flavor to this winter dish.

Roasted mushrooms alone can be satisfying, but adding a balsamic reduction and fresh herbs makes them special. Full of earthy flavor and umami, the mushrooms soak up the rich flavor of the vinegar, which becomes even more concentrated as they roast. Serve this as a main course or a hearty side.